Radio tuning apparatus



April 1942- H. z. BENTON ETAL 2,281,093

RADIO TUNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY A9 W @WATT RNEY5.

A ril 28, 1942. H. z. BENTON ETAL RADIO TUNING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Dec. 4, 1939 INVENTORS gamdjg/ge/z/q/a o y, (Jr/xi,

W a .-\TTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT zssussu 1 mro'rumcsrrsasrns yHarold Z. Benton, Glencoe, and'mo d 15 mm t 18110 I (ll-owe Chicago,Manufacturing of Illinois 1 Appllcationiiecernber 4, use; No. use; scum.(cue-10):

This application relates to a new and improved camtype push button tunerand more particularly to a radiotuner of this characteradapted for usein connection with either permeability or capacity tuning continuouslywide range of frequencies. f A e Present commercial practice requires. acom.- pact tuner adapted for'push button tuning' ,for

variable. over. a

n to 5 00., ChicagmWIiL, a corporation.

a plurality of stations combined with continuous manual tuning over thefrequency bands Horizontaily slidable push buttons have the objectionwith mailer sets that pressure'on the buttons may move the entire setrather thanfforce'the push button in to tune the set. In the presentconstruction the major application of force to lthe push buttons is inthe downward direction which obviates this difficulty. The presentconstruction includes a shafthaving a plurality of cam units, as thistype of construction has provento give a much greaterdegree of accuracyfor selection of stations, There has been shown and describedherein aconstruction in which the cams and other partsare assembled on the shaftand locked in positionby being forced together by means of a slottedvnut on the end of the shaft. Othertypes ofassembling and locking theunits. on the shaft may be used as, for example, the construction shownin the copending application ofiiaroldvz Benton, Serial No. 288,917,filed August 8, i939..,The construction shown herein is compact: and rigid, the permeability coils being mounted in a vertical position belowthe cam shaft assembly soas to reduce the front to back space requiredbygthe assembly on a radio chassis. Thecoil-mounting plate acts as a tiebar between the two endplates of the supporting frame end mechanism,which affords a compact and rigid structure. Means are provided forcancelingall back lash in either direction between the core. moving armsand the cam shaft. This feature is. important due to the fact that whenthe locking means holding the parts in position on the shaft is loosenedfor the purpose of setting the cams, there is a slight tendency due tothe leverage of the core moving arms for thesearmst'o take up whateversmall amount ofplay thereexists be tween thearms and the shaftupon whichthey are slidably fitted. The core moving *arms are also connected tothe cores hymeanswhich cancels all forms of back lashand at. the sametime allows flexible movement forany misalignment which may be presentwithe respect .topthelcores and arms. The constructionmaybeamadelwithany number of buttons and the core moving arinscani f jm M H 8 lineofthe'ca-m shaft to different h n'sbsce I h d s It isan plectgorth c ti nto ps1; vide a new and improved device e 9 nt. p ?w a e 15ers .J' -l 1.It. a o i ctt -mv d c s ctin which is compact and'completevinitself asa; a;

m .fiequencv t on or? 2 teache tlsemr iect rm s meri h m ybe readily adjs d and and inwnih.

h bu h' b on r l b yee sump-1.. idlvw st n s 1 1H8 an er, x l p ide a stu ture w ch, s si l I e mbsc s V vi-,1m lp nw -aadiu t- It is also@antobject: t provide construction of hi c a cte of t ew: a sum pleparts and. capable :of commercialeproduction ndru mo sra s Other andfurther obiects will appearas the description proceeds. l o 1 Certainpreferred embodiments of the .:inven'- tion have been showninrtheaccompanyingrdraw also partly bro en away:

n i e rle s mum .4.

online of 2;: ush button;

lever in operative positionfand I. w b s w a fragmentary section showinga modified form of dial drive connection.

The tuning apparatus frame is shown as sup ported on a chassis II, andas comprising end plates I2 and I3 .which are secured together at theirupper forward edges by a dial plate carrying member l4. The chassis Hhas an opening 'HA cut-therein so that the tuning assembly may bemounted thereon asaunit. The end plates l2 and 13 are also securedtogether and braced by a coil carrying cross frame member i6. The push,button lever shaft 16 is supported in the: ,end

plates 12 and I3 and is provided with circum ferential grooves toreceivethe push button'ievers 1 i1 and support them in spacedrelation.These f levers l1 a fe provid d with notches 13' tom. in I thegroovesformed in the shaft l6 and their forward ends are providedwiththe enlarged buttons "for manual operation. The lower portions ofthebuttbns l3 are-formed with an arcuate, forward face, I3A, the arehaving a center approximately attheiaxis of the shaft l6 upon whichtheleversf l1 swing. These lower portions tween two flat washers 23. Thecam members 32 are provided with round openings fitted on the shaft sothat they may be freely turned relative to the shaft when not clampedtightly between washers 23 by tightening up the nut 24. The cams 32 areshown in face view in Figures 3 and 4 and are provided with arcuatesurfaces 33 and 34 which are adapted to be engaged by the cam operatinglugs 2| and. 22. respectively, on the push button arm l1 for moving thecame to "predetermined positions. which movement serves 7 to rotate theshaft 23 when the cams are clamped in place.

The shaft 23 also carries a plurality of tuning arms 36 and 36-which arefitted between disc washers 23. These tuning arms -are provided withopenings'closely approximating the shape of the shaft with its flattenedsides so that they of the buttons serve-witli'the buttons'in normalpositiomto fill the. lavlse'openings in the panel or escutcheon whicharerequired because of the swinging movement of the push button levers. Thesprings 23 hold the levers l1 in place on the a supporting shaft l6.Each lever I1 is provided with thefcam operating lugs 2| and 22.

The cam shaft 23 is pivotally supported in the 1 end plates l2 and" I3and has a threaded end to receive the cup-shaped nut 24 shown in Figures1' and 2, which nutis provided with the slot 26 so that it may screwedon or On the end of shaft 23 or tightened or loosened upon the shaftarerotated with the shaft at all times. Adjacent the tuning arms 36 and36 are located armed washers 31. and 33 having arms 33 and extendingtherefrom. The spring 4| connects the arm 33 on washer 31 with thetuning arm 36. The spring 42 similarly connects the arm 40 and tuningarm 36. The washers 31 and 33 are provided with openings similar tothose in arms 36 and 36 so that they are constrained to rotate withshaft 23. The spring 41 tends to rotate the tuning arm 36 in thecounterclockwise direction, as seen from the right of Figure 2, while ittends to rotate the washer 31 in the clockwise direction. This spring,therefore, serves to take up any slack or play between the tuning arm 36and the shaft 23 and holds it at all times in a definite rotaryrelationship to the shaft regardless of the rotary position of theshaft. The spring 42 perbymeansof a screw-driver or small coin. The 1shaft23' is shown. in cross-section in Figures 3 and} and has twoopposite sides flattened to form" what is commonly called a double Dsection. The manual operating disc 26 has a corresponding openingtherein 'and is fitted upon the shaft :3 adds to'rotate the shaft. Theshaft 21 carries apluralitygof, tubular spacing washers 21 and a numberof vflat spacing washers '23. The

tubular washers'are' free "to rotate on thejshaft while the flatwashers. have double D;shaped openings fitting the; shaftso that theyrotate with'the shaft. 7 The shaft 23 is provided with an enlargedportion 23A adjacent the frame member or end plate l2. this portion 23Aserving to receive the end thrustwhen themembers slidable on the shaftare clamped together. The portion 23A- maybe formed integrally with theshaft 23 or fixedlysecure'd thereto. The shaft 23 has a ,-reduced endfitting in a bearing in the end plate l2 and receiving the machine screw238 which bears against the outer face of the end plate to hold'theshaft in position. The washer 230 is fitted upon the shaft against theinner side of the end plate l2. 7

The shaft 23 carries a stop member 23 between two washers 21 outside ofthe end plate I3, this member 23 having an opening fitting the fiattenedportions of the shaft so that it rotates with the shaft. Stop lugs 33and 3| are carried by the end plate 13 to cooperate with the stop 23 tolimit rotation of theshaft 23 and the members carried'by the shaft. Thetubular washer 21A extends through the bearing opening in the end platel3 so that'the washers, spacers and other elements assembled on theshaft maybe clamped or released without any end thrust against plate l3.The shaft 23 further carries a plurality of cams 32, each of which isheld beforms a similar function for the tuning arm 36.

Thedial mechanism support 66 is a fiat member extending rearwardly abovethe shaft 23,

having its forward end secured to the dial plate l4 and its rear portionsecured to afiat support member 6| extending transversely of the frameparallel to the dial front, this member being supported from the endplates l2 and I3. The bell crank lever 62 is pivotally supported at 63upon the support 63. One arm '64 of the'bell crank has connected theretothe cable which, as best shown in Figure 3, passes over idler pulley 66supported from the member 63, down over a cable drive drum 61 which iscarried upon shaft 23 and which rotates with that shaft. The second arm63 of the bell crank lever 62 has the lever 63 pivotaily supportedthereon at 66. One end of the lever 63 carries the guide member 6| whichfits in an elongated slot 62 formed in the rear portion of member 66.The opposite end of the lever 63 carries an indicating member 63 whichis moved back and forth in front of the jdial plate l4 upon movement ofthe bell crank lever 62 caused by the cable 66 when shaft 23 is rotated.The coil spring 64, one end of which engages the bell crank lever 62 andthe other end of which engages the lever 63, is carried in pivot 63 andserves to maintain tension onthe drivecable 66. This spring 64also hasthe important function of taking up play in the pointer assembly andpreventing back lash between the pivot 66 and levers 62 and 63, betweenthe guide member 6l and slot 62, between the bell crank lever -62 andits pivot 63, as well as in the cord coupling unit at the end of arm 64of lever- 62. The parts are so proportioned that a rectilinear movementis imparted to the'indicating means cas nos 3 iii-# 511 11" fsmov nientasshown in Figure 4, so as to engag the corresponding cam member yp eapsof themanual tuning disc 3 is ,rotatedipjswing the tuning arms a ociatescore t time the set to the desiredl'stationu when this position has beenrest. e

ils-nanny, James clamps the. cam

, d uined their setting by the setting up of an adj cent ,Thespringsconnecting the tuntheilarmed washers serve to hold the tuning armsinfixed rotary relationship to the shaftwithout play during any periodwhen thegshaftiassembly is unclamped so that the arms wilhalways" "Qun'imly located when clamped ction shown-and described affords ajcompactandeillcient radio tuner and dial comg, f ser, t ejermjer,bination with provision for both push button tunoo traction shown ing ancontinuousmanualtuning. The device modification may second bell crank ma"be uppliediasla complete unit tobeinstalled ievereu tsblv the fllmewith one upon io' chaslsis. 'Ifhemechanism for movle see very to the arm3' or A ingthe dial indicator iscompact and is located the other leg inoperative association at the top of the device so that it will notinterwith the bell crank 82. fere with other parts mounted upon thechassis In assembling the device, the various tubular adjacent thetuning unit. All parts and coils and flat spacing washers, cam members,tuning may be readily aligned and adjusted and the arms and armedwashers 31 and 38 are placed structure will retain them in adjustedposition. upon the shaft 23 in proper order and relation- 4 While wehave shown preferred embodiments ship and the shaft is assembled in theend frame of our invention, these are to be understood to be members I:and II. Themembers to the right illustrative only as it is capable ofvariation and of the frame member II, as shown in Figures 1 change tomeet differing conditions and requireand 2, are then bled on the shaft,wherements, and we contemplate such modifications as upon tightening upthe cup-shaped nut 24 serves come within the spirit and scope of theappended to retain all of the parts carried by the shaft in claims. therotary relationship which they have at the What is claimed is: time. Ashas been previously described, the 1. In a device for adjusting radiotuning aptubular washers 21 are freely slidable and roparatus, a frame,a transverse shaft rotatably tatable on the shaft 23. The flat washers28 and supported in th frame, means for rotating the armed washers l1and I8 and tuning arms ll and shaft, the shaft having a portionnon-circular in 36 are not freely rotatable on the shaft but arecross-section, an arm loosely fitted on the nonslidable thereon. The cammembers I! are rocircular section of the shaft to rotate therewith,tatable upon the shaft. Th p button rm an operative connection from saidarm for actu- II are assembled upon the r Shaft l by b61118 ating tuningmeans, and means for taking up placed in the grooves formed therein, andare l k b t en th rm n shaft, held in Place y their respectiv spri s I-Th 2. In a device for adjusting radio tuning aptun n 811118 35 8ndconnected to their paratus, a frame, a transverse shaft rotatablyspective cores y the push rods and 0011 89111188, supported in theframe, means for rotating the the cores beinz fitted in their @0118 nand so shaft, the shaft having a portion non-circular in The bell crank2 is assembled with $8 lever 59 crgss section" an am loosely fitted onthe nonupon the ppo he Elllde member 5| 9 oircular section of the shaftto rotate therewith, in! into the large slotted end of the elongated anoperative connection from said arm for actuslot 62. The cable 5 isconnected to the bell ating tuning ,means, and means for taking up crankand passed around p ll y I and around slack between the arm and shaft,said means the drum 5! to which it is secured. The sprint; comprising awasher loosely fitted on the nonby its thrust against lever 50, urgesthe bell circular portion, and spring means connecting crank 52 in theclockwise dire ti n, a n in the arm and washer and tending to rotate theFigure 2, so as to normally maintain tension upon arm and washer inopposite directions relative the cable 55. to the shaft. I

In setting up the cams for particular stations, 3. In a device foradjusting radio apparatus, the cup nut 24 is loosened by means of ascrew a frame, a transverse shaft rotatably mounted in driver, whichreleases the clamping action upon said frame, and having a portionnon-circular in all of the members loosely carried upon shaft 23. crosssection, an arm loosely fitted on the non- The selected push button isswung downwardly circular section of the shaft so a to rotate there-.pushh t onisrehased nd h t with, a connection from-said loosely fittedarm for effecting adjustments of radio tuning amratus, means fortakingup the lost motion between the arm and shaft, said last mentionedmeans comprising a washer loosely fitted to the non-circular portion ofthe shaft, and means toconnect the washer and the arm tending to rotatethe-arm and washer in opposite directions I relatively to the shaft, adial mechanism support secured to the frame and comprising a flat membersection fastened to the frame and extending from the front of the frameto the rear above the shaft, a'bell crank pivotally mounted-on thesupport and parallel thereto, a flexible connection between one leg ofthe bell crank and the shaft to swing the bell crank about its pivotupon rotation of the shaft, a lever pivotally mounted on the second legof the bell crank, a guide means in one end of the lever enga ing thedial mechanism support and moving in a slot therein, and an indicatorcarried in the other end of the lever and adapted to move over a dialplate supported upon the frame.

4. In a device for adjusting radio tuning apparatus, a frame, atransverse shaft rotatably supported in the frame, means for rotatingthe shaft, the shaft having a portion non-circular in cross-section, anarm loosely fitted on the noncircular section of the shaft to rotatetherewith, an operativ connection from said am for actuating tuningmeans, means for taking up slack between the arm and shaft. indicatormechanism and operating connections from said arm to said indicatormechanism.

am a device of the character disclosed, a frame, a shaft rotatably'mounted in said frame, a push button shaft'in said frame forwardly ofsaid rotatably mounted shaft, push button levers pivotally mounted onsaid push button lever shaft, inter-engaging means on the rearwardportions of said push button levers and the rotatably mounted shaft foreflecting rotary adjustments of said shaft by operation of said pushbutton levers, downwardly and rearwardiyproiecting arms on saidrotatably mounted shaft and operative connections from said arms foractuating tuning means below the rotatably mounted shaft.

6. In a device of the character disclosed, a frame, a shaft rotatablymounted in said frame, a push button shaft in said frame forwardly ofsaid rotatably mounted shaft, push button levers pivotally mounted onsaid push button lever shaft, inter-engaging means on the rearwardportions of said push button levers and the rotatably mounted shaft foreffecting rotary ad justments of said shaft by operation of said pushbutton levers, downwardly and rearwardly projectingarms on saidrotatably mounted shaft and operative connection from said arms foractuating tuning means below the rotatably mounted shaft, said armsbeing loosely held on the rotatably mounted shaft and means for takingup slack between said arms and the shaft on which they are so mounted.

HAROLD z. BENTON.-

= LLOYD P. MORRIS.

